New Jersey's George Norcross Flexes Clout With Governors Even Under Indictment

CAMDEN, New Jersey — Five New Jersey governors trekked down to South Jersey on Tuesday for a groundbreaking ceremony at the hospital where New Jersey Democratic power broker George Norcross serves as board chair — underscoring his clout even as he faces racketeering charges and a diminished statewide profile.

The event on Tuesday was to officially mark the start of a $3 billion expansion of Cooper University Health Care, South Jersey's only Level One Trauma Center. The expansion is expected to add just over 100 inpatient beds across three new “towers” to the health system in one of the state’s long-troubled communities. Cooper currently has 663 beds.

But the political context could also not be ignored: Norcross, while hobbled by the criminal charges brought by Attorney General Matt Platkin, still carries considerable influence.

Republican former Gov. Chris Christie, who signed the tax credits into law that is a key part of the Norcross indictment and is one of his closest allies, said he "would've never brought an indictment like this" when he was the state's U.S. attorney.

"My view: This indictment is a piece of garbage," he told reporters after the event. "Part of the reason for my appearance here today is not just my friendship with George, but is to make clear to people who care about justice being done the right way in this state that this thing is baseless.”

Norcross declined to speak with reporters as he left the event.

The event was a who’s who of state politics: former Govs. Jim McGreevey, Tom Kean Sr. and Jon Corzine sat on stage with Norcross. Norcross himself sat between current Gov. Phil Murphy and Christie, with state and local elected officials and at least two members of Congress in attendance.

“I think my fellow governors would agree with me — there's only one guy in this state that could pull this group together,” Murphy said of Norcross. The two feuded during Murphy’s first term in office — with Murphy targeting the tax incentives — but they have since become political allies.

Camden has long been one of the state’s most troubled and impoverished cities, continuously on the mend. Christie famously worked with Norcross to disband the city police department and replace it with a county police force, a move credited with improving law enforcement in the community. And the city murder rate — once on par with Honduras — recently hit a 55-year low, according to city officials. For about an hour the governors described a Camden on the rise, with Norcross at the center of it.

“I know he hasn't lost any influence in building a better Camden and making [Cooper] one of the best medical centers in the United States — his leadership really has been extraordinary with regard to his efforts here,” Corzine told reporters.

Also in attendance were fellow indictees in Norcross’ racketeering case: former Camden Mayor Dana Redd, South Jersey attorney Bill Tambussi and George’s brother Phil Norcross (Phil Norcross also sits on the board of Cooper).

George Norcorss is charged with using his influence to enrich himself and his allies by strong-arming local governments to sway property rights from a rival developer to a favored one. Norcross and his allies have launched a rigorous public relations campaign questioning the legitimacy of the indictment, which has drawn frustration from state prosecutors.

“As we have said previously, the State’s indictment speaks for itself and our prosecution of the Norcross Enterprise will occur in the court,” Michael Symons, a spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office, said in a statement to POLITICO in response to Christie's comments. “Attempts by the Defendants and others — apparently even including a former Governor and United States Attorney — to attack the work of career prosecutors in order to litigate this case in the press and taint the jury pool will not be ignored.”

Norcross critics contrasted the hospital event with the recent court hearing where Norcross’ attorneys argued to dismiss the charges, which a state judge is currently considering.

"The spectacle at Cooper hospital shows just how deep corruption runs in New Jersey politics. Watching five governors share the stage with George Norcross, less than a week after he was in court for racketeering, tells you everything you need to know about what's wrong with our state's political system," said Antoinette Miles, state director of the left-leaning New Jersey Working Families Party. "This carefully planned event was more than an attempt to clean up Norcross's public image while he faces criminal charges."

The event also carried elements of another one of the state's preeminent political storylines: The state’s crowded Democratic primary for governor. Two candidates were in attendance: Steve Sweeney, Norcross’ longtime friend and the former state Senate President, and Congressmember Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), who represents a North Jersey district on the other opposite side of the state.

“[Sweeney] probably doesn't want my support, help or even my acknowledgment,” Christie said jokingly on stage of his former legislative ally. “So let me just say this for every Democratic primary voter: I hate Steve Sweeney. Lousy SOB. Awful guy, we never agreed on a thing.”

The hospital expansion was first announced in 2022, which had Murphy and Christie to share the stage with Norcross. The hospital on Tuesday called the project the largest building investment in Camden County history, which will be done in partnership with the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, a key political ally of Norcross. The first phase of the project will be a 10-story tower that will cover 35,000 square feet and is expected to be completed by 2028. Around $170 million will come from state funding through prior allocations the state made to Cooper.

Kean — who is 89 — quipped that “things will be even better” once the towers come up “if I'm alive to come here again in another five years.” Kean — a Republican who was governor in the 1980s — said that he does not do as many public events anymore, but that it was an easy decision when Norcross asked.

“I don't think I’ve ever said no to George Norcross,” he said from the stage. “And I wouldn't. Because if there's one human being at the center of revival of Camden and Camden County and this whole area, it's George Norcross.”